Anyone who watched a lot of WWE in the mid- to late '80s -- sorry, WWF, as it was known back then -- would instantly recognize Lombardi. He was the guy who always lost to one of the up-and-coming talents during the early matches of Superstars of Wrestling or Saturday Night's Main Event.

But he wasn't just some chump. Lombardi was by far the most fun of all the "jobbers" the WWF used to build up their stars -- you know, the ones who got fun nicknames like "The Dragon" and "Superfly", to name a few who defeated Lombardi:

Finally, in 1989, Lombardi received his first in-ring persona: the Brooklyn Brawler. Here's how The Brain introduced him to the wrestling world via a surprise attack on the Red Rooster, who would become the Brawler's longtime rival:

Lombardi went on to a long career in various roles for the WWE, but he always maintained his status as one of the best jobbers in the business. In The Rock's tryout match on March 10, 1996, the WWE picked Lombardi as their future star's opponent. They even had a rematch in 2000, with The Rock again coming out victorious:

Lombardi himself cryptically acknowledged his departure from the WWE:

And that's not the first time he's gotten a little introspective on Twitter:

Seriously, his whole feed is like that. It's not really a surprise that Lombardi's a thoughtful guy. Dude studied biochemistry in college.

Not a bad career for a guy from Bensonhurst who just loved wrestling. Adios, Mr. Lombardi. You were the best at what you did.